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Presented by Mountain Gear,
and sponsored by The North Face,
the 2008 Red Rock Rendezvous featured the following list of world-renowned athletes.
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Tommy Caldwell & Beth Rodden
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 Beth Rodden started climbing at the age of 14. She was obsessed after her dad took her to Rocknasium, the local climbing gym in Davis, CA. After being a gym junkie, she became addicted to outdoor climbing, ticking many hard ascents. In 2000, she began climbing with her husband, Tommy Caldwell, and freed Lurking Fear (5.13c) on El Cap. Since then she has focused on climbing in the mountains and has many first female ascents of hard trad routes, including onsighting the Phoenix (5.13a), Grand Illusion (5.13c) and Country Boy (5.13d). She recently established the Optimist, 5.14b, at Smith Rock, her third 5.14, and the hardest route an American woman has climbed. She hopes to continue climbing and traveling with the world with Tommy as long as possible.
Tommy is a climber through and through. He started climbing at age three and
has been passionate about the sport ever since. He has established numerous
5.14¹s and a 5.15 sport climb, has bouldered V13 and has freed six routes on
El Capitan (the most of anyone), four of which were first ascents and one of
which is likely the hardest long free climb in the world. He has climbed on
five continents and been on expeditions to Kyrgyzstan, Bolivia and Canada.
Many magazines have called him one of the best all around climbers in the
world. Tommy is also a contributing editor to Rock and Ice Magazine and has
written feature length articles for Climbing and Alpinist Magazine.
They are both on the design board for Marmot and work closely with other sponsors in
developing their products.
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| Back to the top | Photographer: unknown |
Peter Croft
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 Peter Croft has lived in the Bishop area with his wife Karine for about the last seven or eight years. Its a great place to be for a climber, particularly if you like to mix it up like he does. Bouldering, cragging, mountain climbing and a close shot to Yosemite when Tioga Pass is open. Although Peter does a lot of the first two in winter and spring, his main focus since he’s been there has been the mountains where his thing has been big traverses and link-ups. Mostly, this kind of climbing rarely entails climbing any harder than 5.10 but the days tend to be long, usually starting way before dawn and ending at bedtime. Its hard to explain how fun these days are.This summer Peter shifted emphasis a bit and tried his hand at some first ascenting of some technically more difficult climbing in the mountains. More specifically he did a few new routes in the 5.12+ to 5.13 range on the Incredible Hulk, the 1500 foot wall in the northern Sierra. Climbing with Dave Nettle, Andrew Stevens and Hans (from Truckee), Peter had one of his favorite seasons ever. |
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Olivai Cussen
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 Olivia Cussen recently became the 3rd American woman to attain IFMGA certification. She is an AMGA certified Rock, Alpine and Ski Mountaineering guide. Olivia lives in Leavenworth, WA where she operates the Northwest Mountain School with her husband John Race. Olivia has been guiding for 8 years and has lead trip in places including Alaska, Argentina, Europe, and the Himalayas. When not climbing or skiing Olivia enjoys spending time at home cooking for friends. |
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Malcolm Daly
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 Malcolm started climbing in 1969 during a summer road camp where he spent a week in the Tetons. He took a climbing lesson as part of the program then took another, then another. And that was all it took. He moved to Colorado in 1973 to go to college and began bouldering at Horsetooth Reservoir, then one of the world centers of bouldering. In 1979 he was bouldering B1+, (now rated V9) and has ticked routes like Midnight Lightning and the Mammen Traverse. He spent many days climbing in Eldorado, Estes Park and Veedauwoo while he was trying to earn his college degree. In April of 1992 Malcolm started Trango and now owns Trango, Stonewear Designs and e-Grips. It’s been a rough but rewarding road with little financial incentive, lots of work, little sleep, a bit of climbing, and tons of great friends. In addition to climbing, he’s an avid skier, snowboarder, track skier, tele skier, runner, biker, kayaker, photographer and father. In May of 1999, while attempting a first ascent on Thunder Mountain in Alaska, Malcolm fell 200’ shattering both legs and feet, and getting stranded for two days, alone on the ice. By the time help arrived, both of his feet were frostbitten and one eventually had to be amputated. He has the first amputee ascents of many fine classic routes in Eldorado, Lumpy Ridge and Indian Creek. |
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Mica Dash
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 In 2,000, after becoming hopelessly obsessed with climbing, Micah moved to Yosemite California where he spent three years as a member of the legendary Yosemite Search and Rescue Team. He has followed up his El Cap resume with all free ascents of the Regular Route on Half Dome (V 5.12+), and El Capitan’s Freerider (VI 5.12+). During the summers of 2002 and 2003 Micah traveled to Greenland where he accomplished the first free ascent and the first one day ascent of Nalumasortoq. Much of his time has also been spent climbing in Indian Creek Utah. In 2005, he was featured in the film Return 2 Sender which won best climbing film at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Most recently, he has focused on climbing on the giant walls and faces of the Himalaya and Karakorum ranges where he once again has become hopelessly obsessed. In 2005 Micah made the first one day (10 hour) ascent of the Eternal Flame on Nameless “Trango” Tower in Pakistan. In 2006 he returned to the Trango Valley and completed the second ascent of the 3,000 foot Cats Ear Spire with Eric DeCaria (elevation 17,585). Most recently, in August of 2007, Micah and his partner Jonny Copp made the first ascent, in alpine style, of Shafat Fortress (elevation 19,192) and unclimbed walled mountain in the seldom explored Zanskar Valley of India. |
| Back to the top | Photographer: Jonny Copp |
Brittany Griffith
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| "The freedom, the friends, the chalk in my hair, the cold can of Pabst soothing my aching fingers..." Brittany bucks the trend of the 5.13 climbing athlete by being world class at multiple sports and taking an easy-going approach to life. Learning Curve: Becoming a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Racing on the NORBA downhill mountain bike circuit. Brittany Griffith. Crag of the Month, USA. |
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Sarah Hueniken
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 Sarah Hueniken has been living and guiding in Canmore, Alberta for the past 5 years. As an ACMG (UIAGM) Assistant Alpine guide and rock guide, she spends her winters guiding ice and mixed routes and her summers guiding rock and alpine routes. Having climbed for over 13 years, Sarah has traveled and worked in various places throughout the US, Mexico, South America and Asia to explore the mountains of the world. Highlights have included a first ascent of a 6000m peak bordering Tibet, participating in various climbing competitions and achieving a personal goal of climbing 5.13. Sarah also works with Chicks with Picks and NOLS, is an Outdoor Research sponsored athlete and is currently working on becoming a full mountain guide. |
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Jon Jonckers
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 Jon Jonckers wants others to think he’s a hardcore runner, climber and skier, but he readily admits he’s not. Since bitten by the climbing bug 16 years ago, he has set routes for regional climbing comps, assisted with local climbing guide publications, and scrubbed dozens of hardly-worth-mentioning boulders. Jon has also climbed Rainier – Spokane to summit and back – in less than 48 hours. He likes good beer, good arguments and good guitar jams. When he isn’t working at Omega Pacific, or training for the next big climb or marathon, he’s likely at the computer writing for blogs or magazines. In the past year, his greatest accomplishments include running two marathons in two weeks and climbing St Paul Peak in Montana with his 5-year-old daughter, Erin. |
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Chris Linders
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 By age six Chris was red-pointing 5.12, by age 9 he did 5.13, and then his first 5.14a at age 14! At age 16 he red-pointed 5.14c! Now at age 21 he has red-pointed 18 routes above the 5.14 level and well over 200 routes at the 5.13 level, including twenty 5.13d's. Chris has onsighted 5.13c on three occasions. In the realm of bouldering Chris has done several V9's and V10's. He has appeared in several climbing videos, including Inertia 1, Inertia 2 and Move On Up (Swedish). He's been featured in both Rock & Ice and Climbing cover photos. |
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Andres Marin
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 I grew up in Ibague, Colombia. I moved to the USA five years ago. Since I moved here I’ve had the opportunity to focus and learned lots in my trad and especially in my OW Technique. I’ve had the opportunity to climb routes like Liquid Sky 5.12- chimney in Indian Creek, Brother From Another Planet 5.12 a/b OW, Carnivore 5.12 b OW and Taming of the Shrew 5.12 c/d OW in the CO Nat’l Monument. I’m also an AMGA Certified Rock Guide. One of my favorite things about climbing OW’s is the complexity of the techniques that you have to use. From stacks, to knee jams, to Levitation… and off course my favorite thing is being up side down for a long time. |
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Ammon McNeely
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| Ammon is best known for his speed climbs in Yosemite and Zion National Parks and owns the most records than anyone. He has climbed El Capitan over 50 times, 20 of them topping out with a speed record, 10 of which was a First One Day Ascent. He focuses on three major aspects of big wall climbing: leading, cleaning and lower-outs, with proficiency as the objective. Whether you’re an aspiring big wall climber or a seasoned veteran, you’re sure to leave having learned a trick or two from his class. This is the 5th year Ammon will be teaching a clinic at the Red Rocks Rendezvous. It’s not uncommon to hear clients raving about it afterward. Don’t miss out! |
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Jason Nelson
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 What makes Jason Nelson special is his hot little wife Lisa, and funky son Zane that he keeps in tow. In fact, with these distractions, nobody even notices Jason on the other end of the rope. Jason Nelson began climbing at the age of 18 on the small crags of New England. These days he lives in Ouray, Colorado establishing rock climbs up to 5.13 and mixed climbs up to M11. Jason has climbed all over the world including; USA, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, Spain and Australia. He can be seen on big-walls, ice falls, sport climbs, the occasional boulder, competing at various ice festivals, and during high-gravity days - the ground. Jason is so tall that he makes the climbs look rather small, but he will assure you, they are still just as hard for him. In 2006, Jason placed 3rd in the speed comp, and 5th in the difficulty comp, at the Ouray Ice Festival, confirming suspicions that he might be a promising mixed climber. When Jason is not climbing, he is usually spending time with the aforementioned wife and son, or sitting behind the computer designing web sites for his company which he started in 2002, Visual Adventures. |
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Lev Pinter
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| I started climbing about 14 years ago in the Canadian Rocky Mountains close to my home base of Calgary, Alberta. I enjoy all types of free climbing, although I primarily focus on sport climbing, bouldering, and deep water soloing! I am very passionate about climbing and traveling! Climbing is the perfect excuse for me to travel around the world! I love to see new places and search for new rock, new routes and boulder problems. I enjoy meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. Thus far I have climbed extensively in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. I have also climbed in Australia, Brazil, and throughout Europe. My plan is to continue to travel and progress my climbing ability, keep learning and having fun! |
| Back to the top | Photographer: unknown |
Dale Remsberg
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 Never one to focus on a single aspect of climbing, Dale is an accomplished all around climber. His passion depends on the season, feeling equally happy on WI6, M9 or 5.13. As an Fully Licensed AMGA/IFMGA mountain guide, and new member of the AMGA instructor pool, Dale spends much of his time encouraging new climbers through guiding. Whether mountain climbing in Peru, climbing long alpine routes in Rock Mountain National Park, or tackling classic ice routes in Vail, Dale loves teaching new climbers how to achieve their goals. Recently he has been focusing on scary trad climbing and speed solo climbing in the flatirons near boulder. You are just as likely to find him working sport routes at Rifle, climbing long desert cracks at Indian Creek or seeking thin ice in Alberta. Whatever his endeavor, his quiet determination and love of the mountains will generally ensure success with a smile on his face. |
| Back to the top | Photographer: unknown |
Brian Rhode
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| A rock climber at heart and a rock climber for life Brian Rhodes 27 has been at it for nearly 14 years. Brian is a carpenter, writer, budding photographer, proud uncle, traveling gypsy, ambassador of all thing positive and “full time” climber for prAna, Metolius and Evolv as well as an athlete ambassador for the Access Fund. Brian has climbed 5.13+ sport, established 5.13R trad in Colorado Springs, dabbled in Big walls, and bouldered V9. Brian, born, raised and still living in Colorado Springs, learned to appreciate the endless possibilities and various pursuits of the sport by first learning to trust his feet on the crumbling sandstone slabs of the local Garden of the Gods. “Climbing in the historic Garden of the Gods taught me to appreciate the experience and the movement, and has given me balance and direction in climbing. Throughout my 14 years as a climber I have found climbing to be a powerful outlet into the world around me, and sharing that with others is a true passion of mine. Regardless of ability, for me, climbing is a constant means of learning, a sense of community and a lifestyle; I look forward to sharing my passion with others at the Red Rock Rendezvous.” |
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Ben Schmitd
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| My name is Ben Schmitt and I am currently a Physics Engineer at the University of Colorado at Boulder. I have been climbing for 15 years, been on the USA Climbing team, and have had the privilege of climbing throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand. I love to try things I’m not good at, and build up my repertoire of climbing skills so that I can enjoy all disciplines of the sport. My favorite areas to climb are Shelf Road, Canmore area crags, El Potrero Chico, Red River Gorge, Castle Hills, and Rifle. My other interests include whitewater kayaking, classical guitar, snowboarding, and engineering. I have worked with many groups of climbers, including the therapeutic park and rec community, the Colorado school for the deaf and blind, the SCC youth team, and privately coached US team members, and various outdoor leadership groups. My top favorite routes in Red Rocks are levitation 29, Triassic Sans, Slot Machine, Pet Shop Boys, and Stratocaster. |
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Vera Schulte-Pelkum
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| “Air beneath my feet has made me happy ever since I was a little girl,” states Vera Schulte-Pelkum. But it wasn’t until a wrist injury forced her to quit martial arts and piano that Vera developed her passion for climbing. With a Ph.D. in Geophysics and a research position at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she wouldn’t seem the most likely woman to be breaking big-wall speed climbing records in Yosemite and ice climbing in Nepal, but then it begins to make more sense when you realize it’s all about the rock. Or, as Vera puts it, “Both science and adventure are forms of exploration . . . Each requires a sense of wonder about the world.” A versatile climber, she can finesse everything from big walls to alpine to bouldering and has a special fondness for offwidth. Growing up in Germany and Japan gave Vera a taste for travel at a young age, and climbing and research have taken her all over the world. In the near future she has her sights set on climbing trips to Nepal, Norway, Alaska, Tasmania and Greece.
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| Back to the top | Photographer: Topher Donahue |
Matt Segal
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 The dichotomy of Matt Segal’s climbing lies within the juxtaposition of its origins and its current trajectory. With humble beginnings in southern Florida, Americas most impoverished rock setting; Matt began what would become a productive affair with climbing. Working his way through the competition scene, Matt began to earn a name for himself due to his natural talents on the wall as well as his outspoken nature off it. In a trade-off between his native beaches and the American Rockies, Matt made the move to Boulder, Colorado. There he began the transition from comp killing youth to budding rock talent. Matt found his true calling in climbing and proceeded to focus his time on pushing the limits of single pitch traditional climbing. In this Matt continues to extend the boundaries, both for himself and the sport, finding within a balance between the progression of his ethics, spirituality, and the sport he loves so much. |
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Pablo Stein
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 Paul "Pablo" Stein is based out of Salt Lake city, Utah and is a Instructor and Guide to provide income for year round climbing at the crags and Mountains. Mainly climbing in Utah, Colorado,Wyoming, and the Nevada-Arizona strip area. While the main focus is on Mixed climbing with first ascents and competition activity, many days are still spent climbing trad and sport. Winters are usually reserved for Mixed climbing with four months off each year during that season. Looking for new areas, adventure, and being active in the climbing community are some of the things that provide inspiration, motivation, and a fun lifestyle. "I enjoy the RRR and all the events and people who come for the same" Cheers!!!! |
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Mark Synnott
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 Mark Synnott is well known in the climbing community for his many big-wall and alpine climbing adventures. His travels have taken him to places like Baffin Island, Patagonia, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, the Alaska Range and West Africa. Synnott is one of the first climbers to explore Baffin Island's remote east coast, and has pioneered four big wall first ascents in the area, including a grade VII on the 4700-foot north face of Polar Sun Spire. In 1997 he snagged the coveted second ascent of El Cap's hardest line, the Reticent Wall (A5). Equally comfortable on ice and mixed as he is on rock, Mark has climbed Grade 6 test pieces in the Canadian Rockies, France and Norway. When he's not in the mountains, Mark works with The North Face Research, Design and Development teams and lectures frequently on his life of adventure. In addition to his climbing, Synott is a successful freelance photojournalist and a senior contributing editor to Climbing Magazine. |
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Abby Watklins
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 Since she began climbing in 1988, Abby has excelled at just about every kind of climbing imaginable. In 1996, she and fellow Australian Vera Wong set the Women’s Speed Records on The Nose of El Cap and the Regular Northwest Face on Half Dome, a record which stood for eight years. She also has a mile-long list of competitive titles she’s taken home over the years: second place at the 2004 Ouray Ice Festival, third place at the 2002 Ice Climbing World Championships and first place at Festiglace du Quebec in 2001, just to name a few. In 1998, Abby took her skills to the mountains of Pakistan and promptly completed two first ascents in the Nangmah Valley. In the spring of 2005, she reached the summit of Cholatse in Nepal as part The North Face’s Sight to Summit expedition, which helped raise awareness for the Himalayan Cataract Project. For all her achievements, however, she remains fully grounded: “The most important thing for me has not been the end results . . . I am far more interested in the relationships I have created through climbing, and also the humility with which climbing has helped me approach the world.” Abby shares her talent and experiences through her Alala Women’s Mountain Adventures clinics (www.womensmountainadventures.com) and her job as a mountain guide; she’s a certified Alpine Guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Off the mountain, Abby performs with the Vancouver-based aerial dance company, Ariosa Dance. |
| Back to the top | Photographer: Abby Watkins |
Don Welsh
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 Don Welsh has been climbing rocks for over twenty years. Though he no longer sleeps in his van on a full time basis, his passion for climbing is still as fervent as it was in 1986 when he once spent 13 hours in a home made butt bag in dolt hole on the Nose. A well rounded climbing career from trad climbing in Yosemite Valley, to sport climbing 5.14 in Rifle and the VRG, a proud member of the Metolius climbing team, Don’s love for climbing continues to concern family and friends. Growing up in Las Vegas, Red Rock remains his favorite climbing area; where he can be found digging in the dirt establishing new routes and repeating old favorites every chance he gets. |
| Back to the top | Photographer: Jared McMillen |
Josh Wharton
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 Josh Wharton is known for his bold, "rope, rack and the shirt on your back" first ascents in some of the worlds wildest ranges. He has completed first ascents all over the world, including his most recent alpine-style ascent of the southwest ridge of The Great Trango Tower, one of the longest rock routes in the world. His other Karakoram ascents include Under Fire on the Flame Spire, Unfinished Symphony on Hainibrak Tower and the first alpine-style ascent of the Shipton Spire. Josh also has several speed ascents to his credit including a 4 hours ascent of the Lotus Flower Tower in the Canadian Rockies, a 14-hour car to car blitz of the Diamond face on Colorado's Longs Peak and the Black Canyon "Trifecta" (Southern Arête, Astro Dog and Scenic Cruise) in under 21 hours. When not cavorting around in the mountains, Josh is a free lance writer and photographer, with work appearing in Rock & Ice and Climbing magazines. Josh appears at the Red Rock Rendezvous courtesy of Gregory Backpacks. |
| Back to the top | Photographer: Tyler Stableford |
Cedar Wright
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 Cedar Wright learned climbing at the age of 21, on Northern California's majestic sea cliffs. Cedar holds numerous speed records throughout Yosemite, and is one of the few people to take these techniques to the Alpine Realm (Baffin Island). Most recently, he had an unheard of freeclimbing season in Yosemite, culminating with the Gravity Ceiling, the largest roof ever freed in Yosemite. In the future, Cedar hopes to take his speed-climbing techniques around the world, climbing the biggest faces in the fastest times, he hopes to explore big-wall freeclimbing potential, internationally, and he hopes to try his hand at high altitude mountaineering. |
| Back to the top | Photographer: unknown |
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